Ryann - Chapter 2

            Doog eventually found Presley back at the restaurant having a drink.  The waiter behind the bar kept giving him strange looks but Presley didn’t seem to notice.  Doog walked up to him.  “Let’s go.”

            He looked at her amused.

            “Now!”

            She escorted him to his room and had a security guard posted at his door.  She wasn’t about to spend anymore time with him than she had to.  She was likely to hit him over the head with any foreign object available.  She decided rather than be guilty of assault and battery she would go and speak with Kodi.

            Doog saw McCarty leave Kodi’s office and headed towards her.  She walked past Doog as if she wasn’t even there.  Doog saw the stony expression on her face and recognized it immediately.  “Hold it, McCarty.” She walked up to McCarty and stood face to face.  “Oh, McCarty,” she sighed. “I don’t know what to say to you,” she put her hand of McCarty shoulder.  “I’m not going to pussyfoot around this, I can’t.  You messed up.  You need to take responsibility for that.” She squeezed McCarty’s shoulder lightly.  “What you do not need to do is hide behind anger and turn into a replicate of that stonewall you just left.” She saw the emotions play across McCarty’s face at the thought.  “Come on. Stop looking through me, McCarty.  Look at me.  I’m your friend.”

            McCarty looked down at the floor.  When she looked up again, her eyes were clear and she looked at Doog.  “I don’t know what to do.”

            Doog tipped up her chin, “Go to the restaurant and order some food.  They know what I like.  Take it back to my quarters.  I’ll meet you there.” She knew McCarty needed something to keep her occupied.  McCarty nodded and turned to leave.  Doog watched her go.  Kodi must have really put that girl through the wringer.  If this went on much longer, there would be nothing left of McCarty. Doog shook her head.  It was time something was done.  She headed for Kodi. 

            McCarty tried not to notice the stares as she ordered the food.  Did everyone here know what she had done?  Did they all realize the momentous disaster and destruction she herself had created?  Did she realize it?  She waited for the meal and walked over to Doog’s quarters. 

            “What was I thinking?” she sat the food down the bed.

            Doog walked in behind her.  She was still a bit worked up over the confrontation with Kodi but settled down when seeing McCarty.  The poor girl looked whipped.  “It’s finally hit you.”

            “I was really stupid,” McCarty stared at her reflection in the mirror.  “What’s going to happen?”

            “I don’t know.  Did Kodi give any indication?”

            “She told me to get out of her sight,” McCarty said.

            Doog sighed. “She didn’t really say much to me either.”

            “Should I pack my things?”

            “It’s too early to tell,” she opened up her food.  “For now let’s just eat and wait. I have a feeling she will be calling as soon as she deals with Presley.”

            “What do you think she’ll do with him?” McCarty asked. 

            “Hopefully kick his butt out of here,” Doog answered without hiding her animosity. 

            “It’s not his fault.  It’s mine.”

            “You’re right; you are responsible for your actions and in part for his.  Still, you would have never done something that stupid without him pushing you to do it.” She caught McCarty’s full attention.  “Which nothing like it will ever happen again no matter who tries to convince you otherwise.”

            McCarty frowned.  “Am I even going to get the chance to prove it?”

            Doog stood thoughtfully silent.  She had been there from the beginning.  There were a few things the McCarty was unaware of.  Doog seriously doubted the Kodi would boot McCarty out of the program.  “I think you’d better just wait and see.”

            Kodi stood at the window, her back to the man who had just been escorted in. “You may leave us,” she told the guards.  She turned and looked Presley full in the face.  “You will go from here, gather your things and never return.”

            Presley snickered.  “Oh, you scare me.”

            Kodi smiled and took a number of steps closing the distance between them.  “You should be scared.  You should be frightened for your future.  I am personally going to make sure that you never work in any job in which you handle weapons. You’ll never have a security job.  You won’t even be able to have the job restoring or cleaning weapons. I will personally be giving any employer of the kind my honest and firm recommendation to give you the fastest boot out of their establishment you’ve ever gotten. I will breathe your name venomously to every contact I know in every field that you might approach.” Kodi hit Presley where it hurt. She knew his whole life had been focused on weapons.  The man was obsessed with them.  She knew exactly what buttons to push.  “You can kiss a future working with weapons goodbye.”

            Presley erupted. He called her a few choice names which bothered Kodi not at all. She seemed unimpressed and unaffected by his verbal display.  “You may get off of my base now.”

            Presley stopped speaking.  “I know what this is about,” he said cynically.  “You just can’t handle that I have more control over your protégé than you do.  Maybe McCarty and I’ll go off together make a life of proving you wrong.  Together we will show the world what you really are- a fraud.”

            Kodi grabbed Presley by the shirt and gently but forcibly threw him up against the wall.  “You will stay away from McCarty.  Do you understand me?”

            “Can’t handle that she would rather follow me,” He prodded. 

            Kodi pushed her arm into his throat shutting him up and pinning him to the wall.  She forced herself to calm down.  “Get out.” She stepped back and called in the guards.  “Take him straight to his quarters to pack and then straight to the chopper.  Do not let him out of your sight and do not allow him to speak with anyone.” She released Presley into the two security guards care.  They had real guns. 

            Kodi angrily plopped down in her chair.  She grabbed the pen and began popping the lid off and on as she sat there.  She pushed the intercom button.  “I want all three of McCarty’s trainers here now.”

            “Yes, Kodi.”

            Doog felt her pager go off.  She looked at it.  “It’s time.  Kodi wants me.” She looked over McCarty.  “We shall know soon enough.”

            Doog was the first to get there.  Kodi was still seated with her back to the door and still popping the lid on and off of her pen.  “Are you finished pampering her?” Kodi asked. 

            Doog ignored her comment.  “You rang?”

            Kodi turned.  “We’ll wait till the others get here.”

            Doog shrugged. “Whatever.”

            Kodi looked up at her roughly.  “Are we going to have problems?”

            Doog sighed, relaxing her entire body. Perhaps she was being too hard on Kodi. After all she was right.  McCarty had messed up big time.  “Did you deal with Presley?”

            “Yes,” Kodi answered. 

            “Is he going?”

            “Yes.”

            “And McCarty?”

            Kodi didn’t answer.  The other two trainers walked in a short moment later.  Kodi looked down at a stack of folders, the same stack she had gone through with McCarty earlier.  “I want that girl so busy that she won’t have time to screw up.” She looked at each of them.  “If you’re not working her physically then work her mentally.  She is not to have a moment’s peace. She will eat, sleep, and work.  I don’t care in what order.  I don’t care on what schedule.  Doog will be in charge of that.  You just keep her busy and we’ll see if we can salvage the time we’ve spent on her. 

            Doog felt relief and at the same time was worried.  It may have been better for McCarty if she’d been booted out.  Kodi seemed to have targeted the girl and it was doing little good.  “Anything else?”

            Kodi shook her head.  “No but I want to talk with you alone.”

            The other two took that as their cue to leave.  Kodi waited for them to shut the door.  “I realize that you have developed a soft spot for McCarty.  Don’t let it interfere with her training.”

            Doog felt a snappy comeback coming on but suppressed it.  She wasn’t sure where this attitude of hers was coming from.  If she were to admit it, she had been much touchier lately when it came to Kodi.  In truth, she was tired.  She hadn’t the energy to deal with Kodi’s shiny disposition as of late. 

            “Doog?” Kodi interrupted her thoughts.  “Are you all right?”

            Doog was surprised at the question.  Had she been noticeably tired to the outside world?  Even to this self-centered woman?  “I’m fine.  I’m just tired.”

            “OK.  Why don’t you let the other two handle McCarty’s training?  You can just supervise and take it easy.”

            “You sound like you care, Kodi.  Better be careful, people might think that you have a heart.”

            Kodi winced inwardly but didn’t let it show.  “I’m wise enough to know that I’ve been putting a lot on you lately.  I’m very aware that I depend on you greatly.  Perhaps too greatly of late,” she admitted.  “Maybe that is where all this tension is coming from.”

            Doog shrugged in almost defeat. She liked working with Kodi despite the woman’s disposition. There were reasons that she was here. She was just frustrated. When would the woman open her eyes? “Perhaps but I don’t need your pampering,” she echoed Kodi.

            Kodi smiled, though it never really reached her eyes.  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” She tossed the pen onto the desk.  “I want you to start tomorrow morning with McCarty.”

            “OK,” Doog agreed.

            “Good, you are dismissed.”

            “Sure, Kodi.” Doog shook her head, turned, and left. 

Doog rubbed her face. She was so tired. She didn’t want to deal with this tonight. There was a knock on the door. “Come in.”

             The door opened and McCarty’s third trainer walked in. “You guys had better come and see this.”

            Doog and Fox both looked at each other warily.  So much for getting any rest, Doog thought to her self.  “We’re coming.”

            Kodi sat in her chair and listened to the rain.  She held a warm coffee mug in both hands.  She had always enjoyed the feeling of the warmth seeping through the mug.  It felt good now.  She hadn’t noticed it then but she had gotten quite cold out there. 

            Without a knock, the door opened up.  Kodi raised her head to see Doog and the other two trainers walk through.  She had known Doog was back but expected her to be in bed.  In the least she just hadn’t expected this scene until later that morning.  “Glad to see that you’re back safe and sound.”

            “You won’t be,” Doog warned. 

            “Didn’t go well?” Kodi asked, well aware that was not what Doog had meant. She sat down her coffee. 

            “No, it went fine.”

            “Oh, then what is the problem?”

            “McCarty,” Doog said sharply. 

            “What about her?” Kodi asked. 

            “You know very well what this is about.  That girl has been pushed too far.  Are you trying to kill her?” Doog’s asked. 

            Kodi smiled; a smile which was both a bit sinister and a little amused.  “Let me get this straight.  I give you complete and free reign over McCarty.  You decide her schedule.  You tell her when to begin, when to eat,” she looked at Fox then back to Doog, “and when to stop.” She raised her brow at Doog in a challenge.  “I have not even spoken to the woman since the day she left this office.” Kodi leaned forward.  “Tell me again how this is all my fault.”

            “Don’t play stupid with me Ry…” She stopped suddenly, realizing what she had almost done. 

            Kodi had caught it also.  She set down her coffee.  She walked up to Doog very calculatingly.  Leaning close, she whispered in a threatening voice. “Don’t you ever even think of doing that,” she ordered, “again.”

            Doog felt Kodi’s anger but didn’t allow herself to be intimidated by it. She was just glad that she didn’t finish what she had almost said. Kodi would have had her out of that base faster than she had ordered Presley off. “Fine, I’m sorry.”

            Kodi backed off. It had been close. Twice now she had driven Doog to this point. It would be safer to just get rid of her. Yet she wouldn’t. Kodi was no fool. She relied on Doog too heavily to ever dismiss her. Sometimes it seemed more than just reliance that drew her to Doog. Doog reminded her of someone but she could never put her finger on it and never really tried. She didn’t want to go searching through her past just to figure out who Doog reminded her of. The curiosity wasn’t worth it. “What is it that you want from me?”

            Doog stood silent a moment. The other two had taken quite a few steps back at Kodi’s previous advance. They didn’t know what was going on, and didn’t know if they really wanted to. “Would you please leave?” Doog asked them. They eagerly did as she asked. She waited until they had gone, then turned to Kodi again. She looked into the woman’s eyes. “I want you to stop punishing her. This is past discipline and way past normal training.” Doog took a few steps forward which led her to Kodi’s desk. Kodi sat down in her chair and Doog sat on the desk adjacent to her. “If you’re intent on making her suffer your job is long since been completed.”

            “Don’t be ridiculous,” Kodi spoke into her coffee, which she again embraced between both hands.

            “Don’t play games with me, Kodi. I’m not one of these problems that you can intimidate away.”

            She leaned over to Kodi. Her voice was low but harsh and to the point. “You are killing that girl. If you are set on ruining her, making it so she has absolutely no future in this profession, there are easier ways. If killing her is all that you want, then you’ll be happy to hear that you’re doing a good job.” She leaned even closer, “because right now she’s in with the doctor. She’s hurt.”

            Kodi stood up quickly, a move that Doog almost interpreted as concern. Doog followed the fast paced Kodi to the doctor’s office. Kodi walked through the door and took a quick assessment of the room. Fox and the other trainer had come here after being dismissed. McCarty sat on the table with her legs hanging over the side.  Her right pant leg of her sweats was pushed up over her knee.  The doctor was just lowering her foot when Kodi walked in.  His examination was finished.  McCarty stiffened up the moment Kodi came through the door.  She would not show this woman any weakness if she could help it. Kodi stood there silently, her mood darker than usual. 

            As if finally coming to a decision, Kodi spoke.  “Everyone out,” she ordered.  Fox and the other trainer went quickly.  Doog stood by the door.  “You too, Doog. Now.” Doog reluctantly obeyed.

            With the shake of his head the doctor grabbed his coat and headed out of his own office.  Kodi met him at the door.  “How bad is it?”

            “Not bad,” he informed her.  “She’s very fortunate considering how hard she has been pushing it.  If she keeps it up she could permanently damaged herself.  As it is this should heal relatively quickly, if she keeps off it.”

            “How long?” Kodi asked. 

            “A week or two if she stays off it completely; longer if she doesn’t work it too much, who knows if she continues to push it.”

            Kodi got the drift. “Okay, you may go.”

            The doctor shook his head again.  “Anytime,” he answered to her nonexistent thanks. Kodi shut the door. 

            Her mind wandered to earlier that night. She had stood outside the arena and watched McCarty train. They had an impressive obstacle course. In college she had watched American Gladiators and the trials in that program had given her a starting point for what she had wanted here. McCarty was doing well. She was making good time. She came to the end and slowed up. She was finished. Kodi snickered. She hadn’t made a loud enough noise for McCarty to hear, but she turned as though she had. She spotted Kodi standing there. They locked stares for a while and then Kodi dropped her a smug look. McCarty knew exactly what the look was for and she wasn’t about to give Kodi that satisfaction. She pushed on. She continued through her drills time and again. Kodi watched with a blank look on her face.

            Fox shuffled back and forth nervously. She knew that McCarty needed to stop, but she wasn’t sure what to do. Kodi was standing right there. Should she say something or let the two handle it themselves. McCarty ran past her and she knew she had to do something. She quietly worked up her nerve and then called out enough. McCarty kept going without pause. Fox yelled out louder. It seemed that McCarty was not going to comply. She slowed slightly, a battle going on inside her between proving to Kodi she could keep it up and breaking a direct order. She slowed and finished her last run and then stopped in front of Fox. Kodi had turned and walked away without looking back.

            After a moment she snapped back from her memory. She walked over to a cabinet and took out the jar of some kind of ointment.  She sat in the doctor’s chair in front of the table and propped McCarty’s leg up.  She made eye contact with McCarty as she scooped out some of the ointment and rubbed it between her hands.  Not breaking eye contact, Kodi began to apply the ointment and worked it into the muscle.  She did a thorough massage of McCarty’s leg but was in no way particularly gentle. She was already in pain and this wasn’t exactly a comfortable position. McCarty had to admit that Kodi was thorough and apparently knew what she was doing. She just lacked bedside manner and furthermore it was odd to be touched at all by the woman.

            Kodi reached for towel and wiped the remaining oil off her hands.  “That should sink in rather quickly,” she said. 

            McCarty was amazed.  There was no one else in the room, the comment must have been for her, but it took on the form of having not been particularly said to anyone.  The ointment began to burn but it was a good sensation.  Those spots Kodi had applied the most pressure seemed to accept the ointment the best. It was those spots that needed it the most. 

            “Do you feel it?” Kodi asked.

            “Yes,” came McCarty’s short reply.  

            They sat in silence until there was no trace of oil left on her skin. Kodi grabbed the jar and held it out to McCarty. “Get about one to two table spoons on your hands,” she ordered McCarty. 

            McCarty did as she was told. Kodi spent the next few minutes teaching McCarty how to apply the ointment. She showed her where and how much pressure to apply.  When satisfied that McCarty knew what she was doing, she let the woman finish. Kodi screwed the lid back on the jar. She handed it to McCarty. “The first few days put it on every couple of hours.  After that just apply when you get up and when you go to bed until you’re better.”

            She stood up and stepped away from McCarty.  “Under the advisement of your doctor and insistent nagging of your trainers, you’re being granted a week pass home.” She walked to a locker and opened it up.  “Provided that you give your word to use these,” she pulled out two crutches, “and not work that leg at all.” She laid the crutches up against the table.  “Think that you can manage that?”

            “Yes.”

            “Good.  You’ll leave tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM.  You come back Monday night at 8:00 PM.  Can you handle that?”

            “Yes.”

            “Good.  You may go now.”

            McCarty grabbed the crutches and carefully jumped down off the table.  To her surprise Kodi even open the door for her.  She headed to her quarters.  Doog joined her on the way.  “Are you all right?” she asked. 

            McCarty nodded.  “Yeah, I’m actually excited. I think I really needed this.”

            Doog was confused. “Needed what?”

            “This leave. It will be good to go home for a few days.” She stopped and turned to Doog. “Thanks by the way. Kodi said that my trainers were nagging at her. You’re the only one brave enough to contradict her, so I know that it was you.”

            Doog was surprised to say in the least. Yes, she had got in Kodi’s face but she had never mentioned leave. In fact the thought had never even really entered her mind. What reason could Kodi possibly have for giving Doog the credit for this? Something must be up. This was not like the Kodi of late. “Get some sleep, McCarty. I’ll see you off in the morning.”

            “Okay.” McCarty answered. “Goodnight, Doog.”

            Doog responded in the like and headed toward Kodi’s office. She walked in without knocking.

            Kodi lay on her couch with her arm over her eyes. “Why do I even have a door if you insist on not knocking on it?” Kodi asked without moving.

            Doog shut the door. The lights were off and it was rather dark but she made no move to turn on the light. Rather she walked to the couch opposite of Kodi and lay down. She was quite exhausted herself and there weren’t many hours left in the night. “What’s up?” she asked while making herself comfortable.

            Kodi didn’t bother to play dumb. “I wanted you off my back. I’m of the hope that this will do it.” She turned her head seeking Doog’s outline in the dark. “Please tell me that it will.”

            Doog smiled. Her eyelids felt like they had weights on them. She stopped fighting to keep them opened. “For now,” she answered.

“That’s comforting.”

Doog ignored the comment. “I never noticed how comfortable these couches are.”

Kodi stood up and walked to a closet. Doog never opened her eyes but she heard Kodi approach. She lost consciousness as she felt the weight of a blanket fall lightly across her body. Kodi looked down at the already fast asleep Doog. “Almost anything feels comfortable when you’re exhausted,” she said quietly. She walked back over to her couch, lay down, and followed Doog into the momentary oblivion of sleep.

Kodi woke up a quarter to eight. The room was still dark on the account of thick drapes covering the windows. She figured Doog had promised to see McCarty off but Kodi was not about to wake her. She quietly rose and left the room. McCarty was already at the launching pad. Her things had been loaded. She didn’t notice Kodi approach.

“Doog was exhausted so I didn’t awake her,” Kodi explained to McCarty.

McCarty turned suddenly, surprised by the voice. “Oh, okay.” She wondered where Doog had slept to be reliant on Kodi to wake her.

Kodi seemed to read her thoughts. “She fell asleep in my office.” McCarty nodded in understanding. Doog had looked completely worn out. She needed the extra rest. McCarty was more surprised that Kodi had given it to her.

“Can I go now?”

Kodi nodded. “Yes.” She signaled to the pilot to start take off. “See you Monday, McCarty.” She closed the door and took several steps away from the chopper. As soon as the blades started to twirl she turned and walked away without looking back.

McCarty watched her go. “She said more civil words to me today than she has the entire time I’ve been here,” she thought out loud to herself. She closed her eyes and relaxed. She was happy to be going home.

Doog slowly stirred and awoke. She propped herself up on one arm and looked around the room. She spotted Kodi’s outline behind the desk. She was sitting in her chair. “Are the drapes closed?”

Kodi leaned against the desk. “They have been all day but no right now they’re not. I opened them up a few moments ago.” She leaned back again. “Those must have been quite the negotiations.” She rested her hand upon her jaw. “To have worn you out so completely that you slept through an entire day.”

Doog sat up straight and stretched out her arms. “They went alright,” she said with a yawn.

Kodi simply nodded. She felt no urge to extract the details out of her at this moment. “I explained to McCarty why you weren’t there to see her off.”

“That was quite nice of you. Are you feeling all right?”

“I just didn’t want you on my case for letting you sleep through it when I figured you gave your word you’d be there.”

“How thoughtful.”

Kodi laughed, though it was more than an amused chuckle with no joy. “You’ve been quite the tiger lately.”

Doog leaned back and stretched out again. “You’ve been quite the beast lately yourself.”

“Hmmph,” she stood up and flipped on the light. Both of them blinked a few times as their eyes adjusted to the light. “Why don’t you go to your quarters and get some rest.”

Doog nodded her head in agreement. “Okay, I will. First though I’d like to know your plans for McCarty.”

Kodi sat on the corner of her desk. “She takes it easy for the next few weeks. She can exercise what she can handle, do some therapy on her leg to ensure quick and healthy healing, then she gets her chance.”

“Her chance?” Doog asked.

“The chance she’s been waiting and working for. She gets to try and redeem herself.”

“War games?”

“Yes.”

Doog silently hoped they went better than the situational exercises did.

McCarty did get her chance and in a way she never expected. Her first task back was to accomplish the original objective the day she forfeited the exercise for her own objective. She started by issuing a long and heartfelt apology to her squad. She made a vow to them that she would uphold her position to the fullest of her ability and never falter again. She ultimately asked them for another chance and they gave it to her. Their day was a day of triumph. McCarty focused her attention on gaining back the trust of her unit and on doing whatever was in her power to be successful in every mission.

Once Kodi was assured that McCarty had regained the support and trust of her squad the official war games started. “Here’s your new orders,” Doog informed her and handed them over.

McCarty glanced over them. “Are you serious?” Doog nodded in answer. “But why?” McCarty asked.

“Well it could be one of two reasons. One could be she’s putting you back in place and showing you whose top dog.” McCarty nodded in agreement with that possibility. Doog continued. “Or she’s finally giving you the opportunity to be who she designed for you to be. She’s finally giving you the chance to do what you’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

“Capture her,” McCarty said.

“Yes.”

“Does she expect me to lose?”

Doog threw up her hands in question. “I have no idea. I cannot read the woman.” She put her hand on McCarty’s shoulder. “I can tell you that it’s not going to be easy. She wants you to both succeed and fail. She wins either way. Either she’s been successful in making you into a winner or she’s successful in being top dog. She won’t hand this to you on a platter. You might want to start thinking about a way to get the jump on her. You need some kind of surprise.” Doog squeezed her shoulder lightly. “Good luck.” She left McCarty alone to strategize.

McCarty quickly formulated a plan. She wasn’t sure where the idea came from. She supposed it was a product of many hours of anger and complete dislike of the woman. She had tried a long time to get into her head. The idea was border line legal. The objective said to first infiltrate a command post that would give the location of Kodi’s secret base. McCarty was certain she knew where the base was. No one had told her, so it wouldn’t be cheating in that regard. In war you don’t accomplish an objective that will only get you what you already have, so it shouldn’t be wrong to skip it. She decided to discuss it with her command center first and see what their views were. If they would go for it, they all might just be able to get the drop on Kodi and put her in her place.

            McCarty directed her people where to go. She had only been given the okay to prepare to go, but had decided to get prepared on the closest end of her base to the location they were going to hit. They had all agreed to go with her gut instinct and skip the first objective. If she was right, this would be a great day. She gave the signal for her girls to get ready.  Her heart beat faster and faster as the time counted down. The blast sounded giving them the okay. She signaled and they all took off. Stealth was important here. They had to get to Kodi’s tent before her spies noticed that they were not heading to their suggested area. They surrounded the camp quickly and quietly. It one organize swoop they entered and put everyone under a gun.

             Kodi calmly rose out of her chair.  She wondered for a moment how they had discovered the location, but rather than jump to a negative conclusion she gave McCarty the benefit of the doubt. She was impressed.  In fact, she was almost proud, but she shook it off and focused on what needed to be done.

            McCarty took some satisfaction in the small but noticeable hardening in Kodi’s face. She was sure that finally she had gotten the best of Kodi and viewed the hardening expression as a sign of irritation and therefore her personal triumph.  The satisfaction didn’t last long.  Kodi’s condescending look returned quickly. McCarty shook her head. She would never impress this woman.  What further bothered and angered her was the fact that she cared.

            Kodi put her hands casually behind her back and started to move towards McCarty. McCarty raised her gun aiming it at Kodi’s heart.  “You will put your hands where I can see them and remain still,” McCarty ordered.

            Kodi smiled a menacing smile that nearly pushed McCarty over the edge. “I will have no problems shooting you down,” McCarty said.  The two women locked eyes in a stare down, neither budged.  “Let’s go out,” McCarty ordered.  They led their prisoners out into the open. Kodi walked to the door and stood in the doorway but would not go further.  Two of McCarty’s girls opened up the wide flaps of the tent so that Kodi and McCarty were wide open to all of the camp.  McCarty was going to enjoy this.  “You will surrender and admit defeat.”

            Kodi’s eyebrows rose in an amused look. She knew that she could get McCarty to lose her cool long enough to grab her gun and reverse the situation. She had spotted many of her own girls concealed on the camp waiting for an opportunity to strike back.  Kodi knew that all it would take was to get McCarty under the gun and they could still win.

            McCarty’s anger raged. There was a hierarchy within the ranks.  If she made an example of Kodi, then the next in line with surrender and the game would be hers.  She cocked her gun purposely trying to create fear in Kodi.  McCarty began putting pressure on the trigger.  In truth, it had nothing to do with making an example of Kodi.  She wanted the satisfaction of killing Kodi.  Every time Kodi had shot McCarty in a game, McCarty had seen that look that Kodi gives.  She remembered every time Kodi made her feel small and a total failure.  She couldn’t help but almost wish that the gun was real.  She’d never hated anyone in her life but she felt hatred for this woman.  She put more and more pressure on the trigger waiting for the gun to fire.  Their eyes locked – the power play was on. 

            Kodi took a chance and dropped down to grab her weapon as well as to dodge the shot.  She never reached her gun.  A shot rang out and Kodi’s body fell backwards. McCarty’s mouth dropped open in shock and surprise as she watched the blood rise from within Kodi’s body and spread out across her shoulder and chest.  She stared down at the gun in her hands. She wanted to drop it and get it away from her but she was frozen.  She looked at Kodi again.  She’d seen the look in Kodi’s eyes as the bullet ripped through her body.  She’d seen the deep pain that resided there.  She had seen beyond the cold wall that Kodi hid behind and had recognized it as it was-- a defensive wall to hide behind and not just a cold hard person.

            Kodi blocked out the thoughts that tried to flood her head, thoughts of how now she knew what it was like. Now she knew what it felt like to have a bullet rip through her skin and feel the fire burning in her body. She wished the pain stopped in her shoulder but a fire more painful than a bullet hole rippled throughout her heart and mind. She tried to push it away, to ignore it but it was too strong. The old method wouldn’t work anymore. The thoughts had broken through and she couldn’t repress them again. She needed to redirect. She needed a new focus. She needed something to hide behind. Her head rolled back and she looked up at McCarty. Everything faded away except for this woman before her. Something was so familiar about her but she could not place it nor did she want to. Anything was better that the pain these memories were creating. She focused on McCarty.

            McCarty was staring at the gun in her hands. There was such a look of horror and shock on her face. “Give me the gun,” Kodi called to her. “McCarty, give me the gun,” she repeated firmly. McCarty slowly handed the gun over to Kodi. Kodi checked it over quickly and tossed it away. “It wasn’t you,” she told McCarty. McCarty looked at her confused. “It wasn’t your gun, McCarty. You didn’t shoot me.”

            Kodi looked past McCarty toward the mountains. McCarty stepped back and turned sideways. Kodi saw a light flash, a reflection off a scope. Ignoring the pain, Kodi threw herself towards McCarty, pulled her down and the two of them rolled into the tent. A mere second later, three shots struck the ground where Kodi had been. Kodi groaned from the pain but managed to pull herself into a near sitting position. “Give me the radio,” she said in a moan. McCarty grabbed the radio and handed it to Kodi. Kodi radioed security. “Get the choppers up there,” she ordered. “No, don’t worry about me yet, there are two roads up there and you need to block them both.”

            “Who could it be?” someone over the radio asked.

            “If I had one guess, I would say you’ll find Presley up there.” She dropped the radio, no longer able to hold it. Kodi grabbed the table cloth from the table and pressed it to her wound. “McCarty, I need your help.”

            McCarty stared down at the blood. She wanted to help but she couldn’t force her body to move. She had wanted this. What kind of person had she become?

            Kodi saw the struggle in McCarty’s face. “McCarty, it’s okay. It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

            McCarty shook her head. It wasn’t okay.

            “Jenny, please. I need you.” Kodi spoke softly.

            McCarty snapped to at Kodi’s use of her first name. She quickly ran to Kodi’s side and pulled Kodi into her lap. Over Kodi’s shoulder she held the cloth firmly over the wound. Kodi groaned as she applied pressure and McCarty winced but continued. Kodi’s strength was leaving her rapidly. McCarty could feel it seeping from her limbs.

            Kodi leaned her head back on McCarty’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay, McCarty. It’ll be okay.” She positioned her head so she could look up at her. McCarty’s face looked as white as the table cloth had been before it began to soak up Kodi’s blood. “You’ve never been in any situation like this before, have you?”                

            McCarty shook her head.

            Kodi focused on breathing. “Never seen anyone shot before, never seen their life ebb away as the blood flowed from their body.” She jerked as if snapping out of a day dream. “It’s okay, McCarty,” she said again. “You’ll be okay,” she forced a few deep breaths, “Jenny.” Kodi knew what it felt like to hold a bleeding body—to feel the consciousness slipping away. The wall fell completely away. Kodi didn’t have the strength left to hold it together. She held tightly to McCarty and buried her face in McCarty’s neck.

            McCarty reached over quickly and grabbed the radio. “Where is the chopper” she yelled.

            “They’re both up on the mountain,” an answer chimed through.

            “Don’t you have him yet?”

            “Almost,” the person replied.

            “Get one of the choppers down here now!” McCarty ordered. “She dropped the radio and pulled Kodi closer. She leaned back and tipped Kodi’s head to see if she were still conscience. Kodi’s eyes were open but McCarty had the feeling that Kodi was not looking at anything in this room. She laid Kodi’s head back onto her shoulder. “Wherever you are, Kodi, it must be one horrible place.” She stroked the woman’s hair. “Just don’t die on me.” She looked at Kodi’s blood seeping through her fingers as she pushed the cloth down to plug the wound. “How could I have even thought about wanting this?”

            Kodi took in a deep strained breath. She turned her head up again. McCarty looked down into her eyes. She felt almost a physical blow to her stomach as she saw the deep pain that resided there. Before they had always been cold and distant, now she could honestly say that she had never in her life seen more expressive eyes than Kodi’s. “What happened to you?” she found herself wondering out loud.

            Kodi heard the question and fought to regain her composure, but she wasn’t conscious long enough to get the wall back up. Doog flew through the tent flaps and came to Kodi’s side. She felt Kodi’s forehead and tried to get her attention. “Come on Kodi, come on. Don’t you dare die on me!” She looked at McCarty. “Okay, the chopper is coming.” She brushed her hand against Kodi’s cheek. “C’mon, Kodi. Don’t do this. Don’t give up, not like this. There are too many things unfinished.” She closed her eyes as if in physical pain.

            McCarty watched her carefully. There was something there that she wasn’t aware of. “Doog?”

            Doog looked up. She knew what McCarty’s questioning look was about. “It’s a long story, McCarty. This large pain in the neck was once the best friend that I ever had. I’m not about to give up on her now.” She grabbed Kodi’s face in her hands. “Do you hear that, Kodi? You can push us away all you want but we are not giving up on you. Don’t you do this! Fight, Kodi.”

            They were so fixated on Kodi that they didn’t hear the chopper land. Three men with a stretcher ran into the tent. They tried to take Kodi from McCarty but Kodi would not let go. Even passed out, they could not remove her grip from McCarty. The men looked at McCarty beseechingly.  McCarty drug in a deep stabilizing breath. It was time to take charge. “Grab her feet and help me stand.” They did as she said and the three of them carried her to the chopper as one made clear the way. Doog followed behind slowly. Once loaded, McCarty held Kodi as the EMT’s worked on Kodi’s shoulder. At the hospital they were finally able to pry free McCarty from Kodi’s grasp. They put her on a stretcher and wheeled her into surgery.

            McCarty sat in the waiting room—her head buried in her hands. She couldn’t shake the way Kodi had clung to her, nor could she shake how she had wished for this to happen. She was realizing that not everything was the way it appeared to be. For a few seconds she had truly believed that nothing would make her happier than to have this cold hearted person experience pain and suffering. Now she knew that it was pain and suffering that had driven her to act cold hearted. She now knew that there was more to Kodi than brick and frost. She shook her head and cried. Nothing would be the same again. She just didn’t know if it would be better or worse.

            Kodi began to awaken. She wasn’t sure if it was dark where she was or if her eyes were closed. It was a funny feeling not knowing if you had your eyes opened or shut. She had no idea where she was. Was she dead? No, she knew that death would entail more than just darkness and quiet. She forced herself to listen more closely. She heard a soft humming sound. It must be lights. She couldn’t be in her quarters; she didn’t have florescent lighting there. She tried shifting in bed to get more comfortable. A pain shot through her body bringing with it faint memories. She knew where she was now. She was in a hospital.

            Slowly and blinking numerously to get used to the light, Kodi managed to open her eyes. No one was in the room with her, though it was apparent that somebody had been camping out. A blanket lay bunched up on the floor next to a chair. On the counter adjacent to the chair stood two empty coffee cups and a few extra in the trash can as well, along with other paraphernalia.

            Kodi figured that it was probably Doog or possibly McCarty. She had seen the look on McCarty’s face when the bullet had hit and knowing McCarty she wouldn’t leave Kodi’s side until she knew that Kodi would be all right. Kodi could sense that things had changed. She could fill the change in herself. Just blocking the world out wasn’t going to be enough anymore. She wanted to forget. She needed to forget. The only way to do that now would be to find a focus. She had to find something she could put all of her energy and thought into. Her eyelids felt as if weights were tied to them. She was so weak and tired. Kodi wanted nothing more than to sleep again, but she was afraid of what images sleep would bring.

            Time passed slowly; soon she was so tired that she didn’t care about her dreams. She just wanted to sleep. Only now she was unable to. She would close her eyes but her mind would race so fast that sleep was impossible. She saw movement at the door. It was McCarty back from getting a bite to eat, as a nurse had ordered her to. She stopped short of the doorway when she saw the Kodi was awake. She could tell Kodi was in great need of more rest. Her face was still pale and the woman seemed to be struggling to stay awake or maybe it was struggling to sleep.  She walked slowly into the room and across to the far side of the bed.

            Kodi inhaled deeply. She didn’t feel as if she were getting enough air. She just needed to get some air into her lungs. As Kodi watched McCarty walk into the room, she remembered the first day she’d seen the girl. She hadn’t known why she picked McCarty out of every woman in that room. She had known that McCarty had the potential to go further than the girl even believed she had. She had sensed the girl’s ability almost instantly, but she had also sensed her lack of self worth. Kodi could diagnose an inferiority complex before a person ever had to say a word. Something in Kodi had instinctively wanted to help the girl. Something had also instinctively resented her first impulse. She hadn’t wanted to feel connected to anyone. She hadn’t wanted to feel at all. She worked hard to keep that distance for all the good it did her now. Perhaps the opposite was the answer. McCarty sat down and leaned on the bed. Now assured that she would not be alone, Kodi fell instantly into a restful sleep.

The next time Kodi gained consciousness she remembered where she was. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the light and she immediately looked around for McCarty. She found the woman leaning on the edge of the bed, her head resting on her crossed arms. She was breathing slowly and evenly and Kodi knew that she was asleep. Kodi watched silently. She needed a distraction and there it was before her.

McCarty’s eyelids fluttered a few times and then opened. She leaned back in her chair and stretched out her arms. Noticing Kodi’s eyes on her, she stood up and took a step towards the woman. “How do you feel?” she asked.

Kodi considered the woman for a moment and then shrugged her good shoulder. “How do you expect me to feel?”

McCarty shook her head. She was fighting a feeling of irritation. “I can’t do this anymore,” she declared. She struggled to control her emotions. This woman could push her buttons better than anyone on the planet. Clearing her throat she looked up at Kodi. “I’m resigning.”

Kodi’s face showed nothing at the announcement. She continued to look at McCarty with that steeled expression. This confirmed McCarty’s decision even more so. Yet suddenly she found herself needing to explain herself; which incited to just tick her off. “I’ve turned into someone that I don’t know or even like anymore. For a moment I found myself wishing you were dead. I truly believed that nothing would make me happier than to see your own blood spilling out across your body.” She took a few deep steadying breaths. “Then someone out there said ‘wish granted’ and there you were, dying in my arms. I have one saving grace, something or someone has saved me from giving up that last bit of humanity that you have seemed to misplace. I found no pleasure at all in my wish being granted.” She could see the scene before her each time she closed her eyes. “I have to get away from you before even that little piece of humanity is gone.” Without another word she headed for the door.

To her surprise and lack of control, Kodi watched her go in a panic. “Wait! Don’t go, McCarty…McCarty! Jenny please.” She reached out extending her body too far and cried out in pain. McCarty stopped in the doorway but did not turn around. Kodi painfully straightened herself on the bed. She watched McCarty’s back and began to speak. “I know that I’ve driven you to anger and to hatred. I’ve purposely used that anger to push you. I’ve watched as you’ve exceeded even your own expectations. I knew the first day I saw you that there was something special about you.”

McCarty shook her head but still didn’t turn around. “Really, I got the impression even then that you didn’t think much of me.”
            Kodi’s brow rose. “What? You didn’t like my high school assessment of you? Was I off or did I just strike a nerve?”

McCarty turned slowly. “That was you?!”

Kodi nodded, “yes, it was me. I personally picked you out of all of those women.” She forced a swallow and grimaced at the pain in her body. She was slowly luring McCarty back. “Maybe I was wrong.”

“Maybe?”

Kodi nodded. The movement shot pain through her head. “You did well under the trainers that I placed you under but I wanted more out of you. I guess I learned from experience that nothing gets your blood pumping and your motivation going like anger. So I pushed those buttons and I pushed them well.” McCarty shook her head and turned again to go. Kodi didn’t give up. “I guess I lost sight of my goal.” McCarty stopped.

The silence stretched between them. Only McCarty’s curiosity held her from leaving the room. McCarty’s head jerked slightly and Kodi knew that the woman had just swore under her breath, though Kodi heard nothing of the sort. She turned as though against her will. “What was that?”

“I wasn’t trying to train an enemy, McCarty. I was trying to mold my right hand. I was getting you to a level where I would be taking over your training.”

“Oh that sounds wonderful,” she spat out.

“No more prodding and goading, Jenny,” she spoke out in earnest. “Not even teacher and student. From here on out we’re partners. What you do, I do.” She paused to let that sink in. “You’ve come too far to quit now.”

McCarty took a step further into the room. She couldn’t hide her interest. She wasn’t a dim girl. She knew that there was a great deal to learn from Kodi. The woman was cold but she was amazing at what she did. Still, that wasn’t enough to make up for all she had been through, was it? She needed more reason to stay than being goaded into it yet again. She looked square into Kodi’s face, into the emotionless eyes. She remembered then the deep emotion she had seen in them after the bullet had hit its mark. She had seen the wall come down. She also remembered that even in her pain Kodi had tried to comfort her. There was more to this woman that met the eye. McCarty walked around the side of the bed. “Is that what you really want, Kodi, because things are going to change. I’ve seen through that cold cruel wall you hide behind. Just a taste, grant you, but enough to make me curious, also enough to take off the edge. I won’t fear you any longer. If I stay it will be to figure you out.” Kodi sunk back into the bed at McCarty’s advance. Had she been able she would have backed away further still. McCarty leaned forward inch for inch that Kodi leaned away. They were eye to eye. “I’m tired of the fight. The only way I’ll stay is if I get something out of this. Curiosity may yet kill this cat but you have me stumped and I have always liked a mystery.” She assessed Kodi and realized that she was getting to the woman. It was a new sensation for her. “You think that you can handle that?”

Kodi shifted and a moan escaped from deep in her throat. She needed some medication quite badly but was too stubborn to mention it. She took some time to compose from the pain as well as McCarty’s advance into her space. She weighed the challenge silently.  She could handle McCarty, she was sure of that. No one was about to break her down. She already had a game plan of training that would keep them both too busy for any personal probing. The truth was she would have to take the risk, anything to keep her distracted from the pain. Little did she realize it was her pain that McCarty was most interested in.

There was movement at the door and the two turned their attention to it. Doog stood in the frame assessing the room silently. She seemed both relieved to see Kodi awake and amused at the scene before her. “I see I’ve enterupted something.”

“No,” McCarty said. “Kodi was just proposing a different training schedule.”

“Really? What would that be?”

“Hers.”

Doog snickered. “What was your answer?”

McCarty straightened up and evaluated Kodi. She hadn’t gotten an answer but maybe she didn’t need one. This was her own decision and she would have to live with it. “We’ll give it a try.”

Both thought that they heard a sigh of relief from Kodi. Both dismissed it as their imagination. Doog shook her head ever so slightly and sighed. She had thought this would be the end of McCarty’s enrolment in the program. It turned out quite the opposite. “Good luck,” she said earnestly. The girl was going to need it. She had thought it was tough before, she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

Kodi awoke to a presence in the room. She turned and saw Doog standing at the window looking out. There was an odd expression on her face, as though she were struggling with a decision. Kodi watched in silence. Something nagged at her. Doog reminded her of someone but she refused to search her memory to figure out who. It wasn’t a strong feeling anyway. Just occasionally, like now, there would be something familiar about her. Doog turned to see Kodi watching her with an odd expression. Doog raised her brow in question. “What?”

“I was just wondering what you were struggling with.”

Doog was surprised at the inquiry. If Kodi was ever curious about anything, she kept it to herself. Doog shifted gears and thought about the answer to Kodi’s question. The answer was not out of the ordinary. Yet for Kodi, it was. Kodi would not handle it well at all. “Ask me again later.”

“Later? How much later?”

“When you’re you again.”

Kodi thought that was an odd answer but she let it go. “So what now?”

“Your doctors have agreed to release you to doc’s care, with the assurance from me that I keep you down even if I have to strap you.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Doog saw compliance where she expected rebellion. There wasn’t even a hint of mischief there. “Wow that was easy.”

“I’m not about to hurt myself.”

Ha, Doog couldn’t help but silently laugh to herself. “Really? I always thought that you were a bit of a masochist.”

Kodi sometimes felt that Doog could see right through her or more appropriately into her. “Perhaps but I’m not about to have permanent repercussions from anything that man did to me.”

That made sense. Presley wasn’t going to get credit for bringing Kodi down, especially not from Kodi. “Alright, on to the healing then.”

McCarty had about had her limit. She glanced over at Kodi. If the woman was spent, she wasn’t showing it. Kodi happened to glance at her at the same time. “You stop this round.”

“And you?”

“I’m continuing on.”

“I can do it,” McCarty insisted.

“Ah yes but can you obey an order?”

They came to the spot where McCarty would have to end. She reluctantly pulled to a stop as Kodi ran on. Her pride was not pleased, but her body thanked her. She saw Doog standing by and forced herself to take the steps over and sit next to her, rather than collapse where she had stopped. She shook her head with an exhausted laugh as she plopped down on the bench. “I cursed Kodi when my pride pushed me to far in hatred of her. I never thought it would be worse as her companion.”

Doog smiled knowingly. Her eyes were fixed on Kodi. “She abuses no one more than she does herself.”

McCarty followed Doog’s gaze. “What is her story?”

“That you will have to hear from her.”

She knew she would get that response. “She’s changing,” she threw out.

Doog nodded. “Yes.”

McCarty fidgeted uncomfortably.

 “What?” Doog noticed from the corner of her eye and asked.

“To my shock, we’re almost inseparable.”

“Yes,” Doog agreed. “There’s more, what?”

“I don’t think anyone butted heads with Kodi more than you, but it was because she let you. I just feel like…”

“Like you’re taking my place?” she finished.

“Well, yeah.”

Doog sighed. “I suppose in a way.” She was thoughtfully quiet. She knew the girl was worried about stepping on her toes. In different circumstances Doog might be a bit jealous, but this small voice kept reassuring her that this was right. She was getting a definite back off vibe again but this time she felt comforted about it. This was for good. She wasn’t sure how she knew that but she was confident of it. “It’s time.”

McCarty watched Doog closely. The woman looked content. She wished she knew their story. “You’ve changed too.”

“Really?”

“Tired of the fight?”

Which fight? She thought to herself. “Perhaps.”

Kodi was approaching without signs of slowing down.

“She is not going to go again!” McCarty said in disbelief, knowing that Kodi would continue.

Doog shook her head. “She would go until she dropped if someone let her.” She straightened up. “That’s enough, Kodi,” she shouted. Kodi slowed and came to a reluctant stop after identifying who her orders had come from. She leaned over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath. “Go clean up,” Doog told McCarty.

“Yes, Ma’am,” she jumped up as well as she was able. She was going to soak in the hot tub for an hour. “See you later.”

Doog watched as Kodi approached. Had anyone else called out Kodi would have at least ran one more lap before stopping, just out of defiance. She had always heeded Doog though. That must count for something, Doog thought to herself. She handed Kodi a water bottle. Kodi threw her head back and drank greedily. “Convinced the world yet that you’re a hundred percent again?” Kodi glanced at her but didn’t’ stop drinking. Doog waited until the bottle came down. “How’s the war wound?”

Kodi rolled her shoulder. “I can feel it, but it’s good.”

“Good. You’ve proven to yourself that you’ve still got it. Now enough with the pushing or I will sick the doc on you.”

Kodi contemplated the woman for a moment. There was not one ounce of fear or intimidation in her. Doog was the one person who Kodi could never budge. She sat down. Her heart was racing. “Okay, but only because I think I’m getting old.”

Doog snickered. Then it hit her that Kodi had just made a joke about herself. The ice was breaking. The first sign of jealousy showed its head. She had wished to be a bigger part of it. Now it was time to let her friend go. She sighed. “I can relate to that.” She was younger than Kodi but didn’t feel it.

Kodi studied her intently and openly.

“What?” Doog asked.

“Sometimes I just feel like…” she couldn’t finish, she didn’t know how.

“Like what?”

Doog was casually leaning against the railing, a relaxed look on her face. There was something in Kodi that was trying to get out, but wouldn’t. “Like something is familiar about you.”

Doog laughed, almost uneasily. “You have known me for a while, you do realize that.”

Kodi nodded in agreement. “Sometimes I feel like I’m missing something.” She shrugged and looked at Doog as if asking for an explanation. .

Doog didn’t know what to say. She could tell her now, but something told her not to. “Well maybe someday it will come to you,” she teased.

Kodi smiled and it almost reached her eyes. “Maybe.” She was quiet for a moment. Something else was bothering her. “You know, when you applied for this position, I didn’t think you were the type.”

Doog snickered. “I wasn’t.”

“Then why apply?”

Doog thought about it for a moment. “I guess I wanted to be cut out for it.”

“Well, you are,” Kodi affirmed. “I couldn’t do it without you.”

“Oh my gosh,” Doog couldn’t help it. She was too shocked to hold it in. “Are you actually complimenting me?”

Kodi’s face remained neutral. “I suppose, but more so just giving credit where it is due. On the other hand…”

“Yes?”

“You seem to be waning.”

“Waning?”

“For a while you were large and in charge. You have the respect and friendship of everyone on this base. You have no problem whatsoever standing up to me. You are my right hand. You’re still all of those things but I’m not sensing the passion that you had before,” Kodi explained.

Doog kept her face set but her emotions were rolling. Up to this point she had felt invisible to Kodi, just a means to an end. It meant a lot that Kodi was noticing these things. “Its still there. I just need a vacation.”

“Done, anytime you like.”

“Why thanks, Kodi. However, if you’re still up for it, we have some business to attend.”

Kodi sat up, almost excited. “Is it on?”

“Yes. They’re sending reps over next week to work out the details.”

“Sweet.”

Doog tried to hide her wonder. The old Kodi was leaking through. This woman was still in denial, was still hiding, but she was loosening the grip. It was a marvel to behold. Doog stepped away from the railing. “I think its time to call it a night.” She started to step away with Kodi’s nod of agreement. She stopped. “Kodi?”

“Yeah.”

“If you didn’t think I was cut out for this, why did you hire me?” she asked.

Kodi’s face was shadowed, but Doog could feel the intent look. “It just felt right. You seemed to fit the part despite my doubts. You proved the feeling right.”

“So, for the same reasons you chose McCarty.”

Kodi thought over that. “Yeah, I guess. I just have good judgment of people.”

McCarty folded a shirt and placed it in her suitcase. Her head came up when she heard a quiet rap on the door. “Come in,” McCarty called.

Kodi opened the door and took a few steps in leaving the door open behind her. Kodi assessed the room. She had never been in here before. “You about ready?” she asked in a cool aloof tone.

McCarty laughed. “I don’t know how I ever thought you cold and indignant.”

Kodi’s brow rose in a look that McCarty was getting well used to.

She laughed again, “You’re going to miss me.”

Kodi shook her head a slight amused look on her face. “It’s only two weeks McCarty. I think that I’ll survive.”

“What? Is that a joke?!” McCarty feigned shock. “Were you trying to be funny?”

“I think that sarcasm is a closer assessment of what I was doing.” Kodi offered.

McCarty was about to continue teasing Kodi but stopped and gazed at the woman. She suddenly realized that she was going to miss Kodi. What a change had occurred. McCarty didn’t understand how things could change so quickly and so dramatically. It almost bothered her for a moment. How could she go from complete detestation to a friendship and almost dependence? It scared her a little. Did she have any control over her own life or could Kodi direct her in any manner she chose?

“What’s wrong?” Kodi asked sensing something wasn’t quite right.

McCarty turned her head to the side and looked at Kodi. “Who am I?” she asked surprising herself.

Kodi seemed surprised at the question then her face softened ever so slightly. “You’re not my creation, Jenny. You don’t have to worry about that.”

McCarty shook her head. “Who are you?” Kodi’s disposition hardened in an instant. That familiar blank look crossed her face. She took a step back and looked to be about to turn and leave. “Oh no you don’t,” McCarty ordered. She playfully pushed Kodi against the wall and held her tight. “I want something before you go.”

“What?” Kodi asked, her tone cold.

McCarty laughed again. “Give me a name.” She stood back and let Kodi off the wall. “You know mine but I don’t know yours.” The look on Kodi’s face nearly brought back the intimidating feelings she used to have. She reminded herself that she was not going to react that way anymore. “Come on Kodi. Now is your chance.”

“Chance for what?”

“To stop hiding behind this cold demeanor. I’m offering you friendship, Kodi. Why are you so afraid to take it?” she asked.

Kodi stared at McCarty for a moment. Her face and eyes revealed nothing. She said nothing but just turned to the door and walked off.

“We are friends, Kodi. You’ve already failed in your quest to be a non feeling human droid.” McCarty waited for a response. Kodi kept walking away and McCarty decided not to let her. She covered the distance quickly and whipped Kodi around. She was about to pin Kodi to the wall, but found herself face first on the floor with her arm behind her back and Kodi’s weight and strength holding her down. McCarty didn’t let it daunt her. She wanted Kodi to stay and hear what she had to say. “What is friendship, Kodi? Its trust, its understanding, its compromise, its caring and love, and it’s a bond. Whether you like it or not, Kodi, we have all that.”

Kodi let up on McCarty just enough that McCarty took advantage and turned over so she could face Kodi. “Is that so bad?”

“You do not know me,” Kodi countered.

“Then let me know you,” McCarty pleaded. “I have no intention of hurting you.”

Kodi backed away. “You’d better hurry. The plane is going to take off soon.” She turned and left.

McCarty sighed. “That went well.” She quickly finished packing. When she had finished she surveyed the room to make sure she hadn’t missed anything she would need. When she was satisfied that she had gotten everything she headed for the plane. McCarty wondered if Kodi would see her off. She doubted it. Nothing seemed to work at getting through to that woman. McCarty felt as though she would never solve this mystery. As she walked up to the plane she was surprised to see Kodi standing there.

Kodi looked up and saw McCarty coming there. “You’re the last one,” she said taking McCarty’s bags and handing them along, “have a good vacation.”

McCarty looked at Kodi in question. “Are you staying here?”

Kodi nodded, “yes.”

McCarty wanted to ask whether Kodi had family she could go visit but she knew she would get no answer. “Good-bye, Kodi.” She walked by Kodi and started to get on the plane.

“McCarty,” Kodi called out before the door shut behind her. “Ryann.”

McCarty looked at Kodi confused. It suddenly dawned on her what Kodi had just given her. She smiled. “Thank you.”

With a nod, Kodi turned and walked away. McCarty watched her go. “Good-bye, Ryann.” The door shut, hiding Kodi from view.

Friendship is a reoccurring theme of mine. I've experienced a range of them but never had a sister-like bond (that wasn't with my sister) with a friend until I was older. I had school friends but I was a fairly lonely kid. My sister and brother are marginally older. I had a great time with my cousins up at my grandma's whenever we all got together. I had such a blessed childhood with both sides of my family though my dad's side had fewer get-together's but so special. But friendships were up and down, as I suspect they are with a lot of people. I know that the drastic change I wrote about is possible. An intense act bringing two enemies together closer than they could have imagined. I know the opposite is more likely. It's easier to rip people apart than to bring them together. I just like the idea of the tight bonds you see in books and television. I've been fortunate to build some. Of course time and distance shadows them but it is a wonderful and sad feeling to know that you may not see or hear from them in ten years but in that moment you'll be right back to where you left off. So not having had that in my youth you can read pretty much anything I wrote and see that longing.